De la calle

Gerardo Tort's "De La Calle" is an emotionally powerful film that never seems to reach greatness. The story is about Rufino, a teen living in poverty in Mexico City, trying to escape a life full of drugs and corrupt cops. The film shares a lot of the same themes with Brazilian film "Cidade de Deus." However, Fernando Merilles' experience, makes "Cidade de Deus" the superior film of the two.

Right away it is clear that Tort wanted a very gritty and dirty look to his film, which adds to the atmosphere of hopelessness. The opening shots of the kids in dirty clothes set the bar for the rest of the film. Tort went for natural lighting which gave the film a dark but realistic feel to it. The camera is held in a hand held style resulting in some shakiness, but the shakiness never becomes overwhelming. The screen was full of dull colors which gave it a gloomy vibe. Overall the film looked exactly how it should for a film such as this.

The film's 88 minute run time feels somewhat rushed through. The characters don't feel fleshed out, which take away from the films emotional beats. Emotionally moving scenes like the conditions the kid's live in lose some of their impact because the viewer is left wondering why they should care. The acting on the other hand is very solid across the board. The young actors, led by Luis Peña and Maya Zapata, feel like they are playing themselves, not playing characters.

Filled with solid acting and a gritty look, Gerardo Tort's "De La Calle" is a solid film. His inexperience as a director shows by what feels like a rushed plot and somewhat lacking character development. It is an average film that could have been better with a different director at the helm. However, if you have about 90 minutes to kill and are interested in seeing a how bleak things are in Mexico City, this movie warrants a viewing.